Ch 7
Noble six walked into the director's office, and saluted him.
"Reporting as ordered, sir." He said.
"At ease, Spartan." The director said, musing that out of all his agents, Noble six was the only one who clung to his military training and etiquette.
"I've been going over your records since you were a Spartan. How would you like to have your own personal squad?" the director asked.
Noble's pupils narrowed; he was suspicious of the offer.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You're the top agent, and damn fine one at that. We're going to run into missions that require specific skills that you have. What agents would you trust with your life?" the director asked.
"None of them. They're a bunch of pompous assholes, who'll get each other killed. But if I had to choose, I'll choose Wash, North, Tex, maybe Maine for extra hands. Never spent much time with him." Six said.
"You left out the other top agents. Why?" the director asked.
"York and Wyoming have potential to be excellent soldiers, but they run their mouths off while we're in the middle of goddamned firefight! They make Jun look like the strong silent type. And that's something. CT…I get the feeling something's off about here, so I don't want her jeopardizing my personal team. South is a bitch, and unable to follow the most basic rules. Carolina is only about competition, no teamwork. That'll get people killed in the field. You can have the best army in the world, but with no teamwork, it's all for shit. I gave you the agents I'd take." Six said.
"Excellent. By the way, we're trying to work with AI. We've already got one ready for usage. As the top freelancer…" the director started.
"I'm going to let the other freelancers be the test subjects." Six said.
"Okay. I'll be sure to let the other freelancers know." The director said, when he noticed the Spartan pull out a shotgun.
"Pays to be prepared." Six said, as he walked out of the room.
In the training room, agents Wash, North, and Tex meet up.
"So the Spartan picked us for his group. Any idea?" Wash asked.
"You'll get the idea soon enough." Six said, as he walked into the room, reading Enders Game. He tossed the book behind him and approached the three freelancers.
"I picked you three because you three focus on the mission. Maine might join us when he recovers." Six said.
"Maine?" Tex asked.
"Yeah. He's good at doing the dirty gruesome stuff. But with his throat injury, he'll have to wait until some solution is made." Six said.
"Okay. So what's the plan?" North asked.
"We're going to run drills. Computer, Currahee, planet Reach." Six said.
The empty holographic room was changed into a large mountain range. The soldiers were at the bottom.
"You're to run all the way from here to the top and back. 3 miles up, and 3 miles down." Six said.
"That's easy." North said.
"After that, ya'll are to do sit-ups, push-ups, etc." six said.
"Oh." North said.
The 4 soldiers started to run, wearing their full armor and a rifle in their hands. In the observation deck, the other freelancers came to watch.
"Hold up!" six shouted, the three stopped at his command.
"Six?" Wash asked.
"Computer, end program." Six said, as the simulation ended, and the other agents walked into the room.
"More training?" South asked.
"You know, I'm glad ya'll are here. I have something to show all of you. You'll see what I went thru during the war." Six said as he walked towards the observation deck. In the room, he brought up a simulation of a battle during the human covenant war. The fall of Alexandria during the fall of Reach.
"What you're about to experience in the fall of Alexandria. The city was ransacked and destroyed by the covenant. Thousands of civilians were killed, while only hundreds escaped. Your mission objective is simple. Kill all the aliens." Six said.
"That should be easy." Carolina said.
"You're facing hunters, brutes, elites, grunts, and jackals. Trust me. It won't be easy." Six said, the last part coldly.
The simulation changed to a hill, overlooking a city. The remains of a covenant supercarrier lay in the gully, while debris came down like a meteor shower.
"Well, shit." Wash said.
"You heard him. Lets move." Tex said.
The freelancers headed up the hill and saw the city of New Alexandria, burning and under siege by 3 covenant corvettes. Anti-air fire filled the skies, and the covenant warships hosed the emplacements with plasma fire in return. UNSC and covenant aircraft dueled in the skies above the city, each claiming kills of their own.
"Anyone want to guess how many aliens are there?" York asked.
"York, stow it. You might survive if you keep your mouth shut." Tex sharply said.
The squad got closer to the city and dropped into an alley way, where they picked up frantic UNSC chatter.
"This is Kilo dispatch: all available teams advance to Traxus Tower. Evac will commence ASAP."
"Copy that. What's the status of the tower pad?"
"Green for now. Lets move these civilians before it changes."
The freelancers pulled out their pistols, and stumbled across a batch of skirmishers, who fired their plasma pistols at the humans.
"These bastards are real squirmy." South growled, as she missed a skirmisher.
"Aim for the torso. Then blow their brains out." Wash said, as he nailed a skirmisher.
The last skirmisher was killed, and they walked into a building.
"Well, they weren't so tough at all." York smirked.
"Romeo Company, we got reports of covenant suicide squads."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"That's a negative. Keep your eyes open, troopers."
"Any idea what that is?" CT asked.
"A grunt ignites two plasma grenades and runs at you, hoping to kill you. Little bastards." Wash muttered.
"You experienced something like that?" Carolina asked.
"For the prophets!" a grunt yelled, and ran at the team, two brightly glowing plasma grenades activated in his hands.
"Kill it!" Wash shouted, as they hosed the grunt with pistol fire.
The grunt was killed, and the two grenades spilled onto the ground and detonated.
"They're that easy to kill. I don't see what the problem is." South said.
"I'm guessing they attack in numbers." North said, as they walked into another hallway, and saw two grunts ignite their grenades and run at them. They were quickly dispatched by the volume of gunfire.
The ground violently shook as a missile battery fired at the corvette, yet it didn't slow it down.
"Damn! How do you stop that thing?!"
Entering the basement, they a dozen grunts ignite their grenades, and run at them.
"Oh shit!" York shouted, as the grunts came at them full tilt. The freelancers exhausted most of their ammunition in killing the little bastards.
"Okay. I hope that's all of it." CT said, as they exit the building. The freelancers grab various weapons lying on the ground, better arming themselves.
"Somebody help us!"
The freelancers followed several army troopers, as they saw brutes killing civilians. One brute threw a young woman on the ground, and crushed her spine, leaving a gruesome mess on the ground.
"Noo!" someone yelled, as a brute picked him up and bit his head off.
The freelancers stood for a second, shocked by the carnage.
"I'm gonna be sick." Carolina said, as she grabbed her stomach.
"Snap out of it!" Tex shouted, as she walked forward, and hosed the brute with rifle fire.
"She's right. Lets take them out." North said.
The brute walked forward, unfazed by the gunfire it was receiving. Tex unloaded a clip, and the brute backhanded her, sending her flying against a wall.
"What does it take to kill those things?" York asked, as the brute was finally killed.
"A lot, apparently." Wash said.
The freelancers, sans Tex, headed down a pair of stairs and saw two grunts walk out of an atrium. The grunts were quickly killed, and two elites came out, and hosed them with plasma fire.
"Get to cover!" Wash shouted, as he ducked behind a wall.
"What the hell are those things?" Wyoming asked.
"Those are elites. The muscle of the covenant military." Wash said.
South rose up and hosed the nearest elite with gunfire, only to see its shields absorb the fire.
"You've got to be kidding me." South said, as the elite threw a plasma grenade at her, sticking on her armor.
"Oh son of a-" the grenade exploded, leaving south unconscious.
York and Wyoming brought down one of the elites with sniper fire, as the high caliber bullets easily took down the shields. The second elite was quickly dispatched thanks to a shotgun blast from York.
"Inside, move!" a trooper shouted, as they headed into the atrium. CT approached the elevator and pressed the button, but nothing happened.
"What's taking this elevator so long?" a soldier asked.
"We're evacuating a group of civilians on the floor below you. Soon as they reach the cargo port, I'll send the elevator back up."
"Dropships! They're pulling into the courtyard, watch your flanks! Find cover, and stay sharp. We have to hold this position."
"We're in for a long fight." Carolina muttered.